Hub bearing



Jan. 14, 1930. T. B. FUNK 1,743,712

HUB BEARING Filed Jan. 28. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .zur/9. 1.

,I 'BY ATTRNEY.

Jan. 14, 1930. T, B, FUNK 1,743,712l

I l HUB BEARING Filed Jan. 28. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 la, PW n n 5j o o 0 0 f M' 7 ff a la s INVENToRL 'm BY A ATTORNEY.

@atenie Jan. i4, gS

UNITED STATES. Pa'rENT OFFICE TRUMAN B. FUNK, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMOTIVE FAN & BEAR-- ING COMPANY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN HUB BEARING It is the object of my invention to prevent leakage around shafts, especially around stationary shafts, such as the stud shafts supporting the rotating fans used on automobiles.

In the operation of automobile fans, it is found that the average automobilist will pay no attention whatever to the lubrication of his fan. As there has always heretofore been some leakage around the supporting shaft of such a fan, especially when the fan stops, in the course of .time this exhausts the supply of lubricant, even though the leakage bevery slight; and when the fan runs dry the troubles begin. By my invention I aim to substantially eliminate even this slight leakage, and to do so with a construction which, Vwhile most effective, is at `the same time very inexpensive to manufacture and install; and in the preferred form of my invention to avoid leakage of oil even whenthe fan is stood on end.V

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal l section, on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, through a fan construction embodying one form of my invention, with the lower part of the pulley in elevation; Fig. 2 is a section on the line Q-Qof Fig. 1; Fig. r3 isa view of the supporting hub, takenY from the left of Fig.

1, with .the hub-casing removed; Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section, about 'on the line 4`4 of Fig. 5, through a fan construction embodying another form of kmy invention, which form has some advantages over the other form; Fig. 5 is a sect-ion on the line 1 5 5 of Fig. 4; and Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are fragmental sectional views, viewed in the same way as Figs. 1 and 4, showing other constructions embodying my invention, more or less fully, but showing only that part-of the construction where the shaft passes out from the casing, and the part adjacent thereto.

I have shown my invention in connection with the general types of fans and lubricating systems shown in my prior Patents Nos;

1,370,422, 1,878,587,.and 1,378,588, granted' respectively on Marlh 1, 1921, and May 17,

1921; for while my' invention is not limitedv to that type of fan, I prefer to use the pressure-lubrication system of the type shown in suoli patents. j

The fan as a whole is carried by a supporting shaft 10, which is a stationary studshaft supported at one end, on any suitable stationary support.Y In Vthe arrangement shown in Fig. 1, the supporting end of the shaft 10 is provided with screw threads 11, by which it is mounted in its support. On such stud-shaft 10 is mounted a supporting hub-member 12, comprising a long sleeve 13 having abearing on the shaft 10, and at one end having aV head'orflange 14 projecting outward. The bearing of the sleeve 13 on such shaft 10 is preferably a plain bearing; though that is not essential to my invention. The flange Vor head 14 has a hub-casing 15 bolted to its rear face, and a blade-supporting cover-plate 16 bolted to its front face, preferably by the same bolts 17. Vhile the hub-casing lmay .be made of a casting, as indicated in Fig. 1,1it is preferably made as a stamping of sheet-metal, as indicated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 and it extends axially from the flange or disk 14 as far as desired, and isthere turned inward to form a closed end-wall 18,-.which has a central hole through which the shaft Y1() projects. A lubricantfilling opening 18 may be provided at a suitable point, preferably Where the axially extending part of the hub-casing turns inward into the closed-end wall, so that the opening is oblique to the axis of the shaftA which facilitates the insertion ofthe mouth of an oil can. The lubricant-filling opening is 'or course closed by. a suitable plug. It is through the shaft-admitting openingvin the end-wall 18 that the leakage of lubricant has heretofore mainly occurred.V The hub-casing 15V usually carries a suitable pulley 19, the one shown in Fig. 1 being madeof two mating parts, while the one shown in Fig. 4 is made of a single sheet-metal stamping. The hub-casing forms. within it a lubricating chamber, for it is spaced circumferentially from the sleeve 13 for that purpose.. `Tbe coverplate 16 has projecting spider-arms 20, to which the usual fan-blade 21 may be riveted.

In accordance with the type of fan I have y'chamber close toy the. periphery thereof.

shown'.7 whereby I get a pressure lubrication as set forth in my aforesaid prior patents, I force lubricant from the lubricant chamber within the hub 15 to the bearing space between the sleeve 13 and the stud-shaft 10, and along such bearing space, and I obtain this pressure lubrication by a gear. pump. This gear pump comprises la stationary sun gear 25, and a planet gear 26 meshing with said sun gear 25 and traveling around it. The stationary sun gear 25 is fixed in any suitable way on the outer or free end of the stud shaft 10, and is larger than said shaft so that it serves yto hold the supporting hub 12 and its carried parts in place thereon. The planet gear 26 is mounted on a short shaft 27 carried eccentrically in the flange or head 141 of the supporting hub 12. The two gears 25' .and 2.6 are 'mounted in communicating cylindrical .openings 29 and 3.0 'in the front face of the head 14, as is clear from Fig. 2. The opening 30 communicates with a lubricant-admitting hole 31 which passes through the head 14 into the lubricantchamber formedl within .the hub .casing 16 and communicates` with said lubricant A lubricant-.discharge passage 32 leads from the discharge point, where the two openings 29 and 30 meetfon yone side of the line between their centers, and extends downward in the face of the head .14 to the bearing surface of the stud shaft 10 at the end thereof which .carries the sun gear 25.

vPreferably the stud shaft .1() has` a circumferential groove 33 next to said sun gear, as y is clear from Fig. 1, for. distributing the lu- Y bricant around thestud shaft. The rotation of the supporting hub 12 vin the direc.- tion of the large arrow (see Fig. 2) clauses the planet gear 26 to travel around the sun gear 25 in the same direction, and to rotate on its axis in the direction `of the small arrow of Fig. 2; and this draws in lubricant through the lubricant-admitting opening 31,y

carries such indrawn lubricant around in the opening 30, and discharges' such lubricant through. the ydischarge passage 32 to the bearing space between the sleeve 13 and the studgshaftlO. This discharge .of lubricant is with suflicient `pressure to force the lubricant along such 'bearing space toward 4the supporting end of the stud shaft 10. l

As so far described, the structure shown 1s not materially different fromlthat shown in my aforesaid patent. If this were all, how.- ever, the lubricant would inevitably leak to extent outward around ,the stud shaft 10 through the hole in the end-wall 18 of the hub casing 15. Such leakagewould-fibe.

especially noticeable when the rotating ymember comes to rest after rotation, at which time the lubricant which was held Vat `the outside of the lubricant chamber by centrifugal force would drop to the bottom of the chamber, and much of it would flow down along the inner face of the end-wall 18 and onto the' shaft 10, with some loss through such hole. There would also be a total loss of oil if the fan were stood on end, as in shipping.

It is to'avoid this leakage that the various structures shown in the drawings are de signed...

Referring further .to .the form .of my invention shown in Fig. 1: Here, as also inl the arrangement shown in F igs." 4, 6, and 8,

Athe end wall 18 projects inward almost to the shaft 10, and rather yclosely surrounds such shaft; kand isspaced axially from the adjacent end of the sleeve 13. In this axial space I mount tight on the shaft 10 a ring 35, conveniently a simple wire ring, which is quite close to the end of the sleeve 13 but does not touch it. Any oil traveling along the bearing surface toward the supporting end of the stud shaftv10A encounters .such ring 35, and tries to creep .outward over. it.

The space between the ring 35 and the .endy

issuliicient to remove the oil from the ringv 35 and throw it as just described. This effectually prevents any c oil from traveling along the outer surface of the studfshaft 10 to an escape'lpoint between said outer surface and the holeV in the end-wall 18.

In orderfurther to prevent suchlealrage, I provide within the opening in the endwall 18 a deflecting member 36; which ro: tates with the hub-casing 15. This deliecting member' maybe formed of sheet-metal which extends through the hole in the endwall 18 and outward along both theinner and outer faces of such head in close contact therewith. The outer edge of the deflectorpar-t which lies against the inner face of the end-wall 18 is provided with an oblique flange 37, which flares outward away from the face of the end-wall 18, as is clear from Fig. 1, and is approximately of frusto-conical form. This forms a circumferential trough on the inner face of theend-wall 18 surrounding the hole in such end-wall. Because the defiector 36 rotates with the endwall 18, the two may fit so tight together that there can beno leakage between them.

lNhen the fan is rotated, the lubricant within the lubricant chamber lies against the hub casing 15 throughout the circumferencev a stop, the lubricant falls to the bottcm of the lubricantchamber; and in doing so some of the lubricant flows down the inner face of the end-wall 18. This down-flowing film of lubricant on the inner face of the endwall 18 strikes the circumferential troughforming liange 37, and is deflected thereby around the hole through which the stud shaft 10 extends, and never reaches such hole. Thus the deflecting flange 37 prevents that lubricant-leakage which otherwise occurs just after the rotating membercomes to a stop.

The defiector 36 also preferably lies quite close to the ring 35, though this is not essential. By having the deflector 36 and ring 35 close together, an action supplemental to that between the ring 35 and the adjacent end of the sleeve 13 is obtained. The latter action practically wholly prevents ,any oil from the bearing surface from traveling along the surface of the stud shaft 10 past the ring 35; but if any such lubricant does succeed in escaping the clutch of tlie `adjacent sleeve-end and passes around the ring 35 with a possible tendency` to approach the stud shaft 10 on the side of the ring 35 toward the end-wall 18, such lubricant is inevitably caught bythe adjacent face of the separator 36, and torn away from the ring 35 and thrown outward by centrifugal force from the edge of the flange 37.

The dellector 36 in Fig. 1 is short' axially; and does not retain any great amount of oil within the lubricant chamber if for any reason the shaft is set on end, as in shipping. Under such conditions, the oil runs out between the deflector 37 and the fsurface of the shaft 10. To prevent this, the deflector 36 may be lengthened axially, 'either fora comparatively short distance as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, or for a comparativelylong distance as shown in Fig. 6. IVith such an axially extending delector 36, an annularlubricant-holding chamber is formed even when the fan is set on end, so that the oil is kept away from the opening between the defiector and the shaft. j

Y With this extended deflector, I preferably do not make the deflector as a whole with the aring flange 37, or at least with such a sharp flare, but extend it in general more nearly parallel to the axis of theshaft, so that it very closely overlies the periphery of the ring 35; Vas is shown in Figs. 4 and 6. In

such a sectional arrangement, any oil which l vtries to creep around the ring 35 and escapeat the front of the adjacent end-face of the rotating sleeve 13, forms on the outside edge of the ring 35,-I and collects at the bottom;

where it is caught by the adjacent rotating surface of the deflector 35. This tears the oil away from the ring 35, and the deflector with its flare carries the oil outward anc back into the lubricantchamber. l

` face and the ring35 would Y With this cnstructon cf axially extended deflector, I Vpreferably make the deiiector as a whole almost cylindrical, or even quite so, so that it ts over the adjacent end of the sleeve 13; but aty any suitable number of vpoints around the circumference of the deflector I provide out-turned flanges or louvres 39, which are oblique as is clear from Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and these louvres have enough radial components to carry the caught oil readily outward by centrifugal force.

The deilectors so-far described have all rei' quired that the sleeve 13 have its end-face erably rectangular in cross-section, is. located fairly tight on the shaft 10, but is of such width and such compressibility that it fills the axial space between the end face of the sleeve 13 .and the opposing face of the deflector 36; as is clear from Fig. 8. 'When the hub-casing 15 is clamped to the flange or head 14 by the 'bolt 17, this'also compresses slightly the cork, ring 40, so that it is gripped with the rotating parts and is carried with them in their rotation, instead of remaining stationaryon the shaft 10 as' does the Vring 35. In this case, the end face of the sleeve 13 is provided with an internal chamfer 41` around the shaft 10, and with a series of radialfgrooves 42; so that the oil which reaches the cork ring 40 by the pressure from the oil pump may circulate around the shaft 10 in the groove provided by the internal chamfer 41, and may pass out through the radial groove 42 to the outside face of the cork ring 40. There the oil is caught by the inner face of the deflect'or 36, and thrown outward along its louvres 39.

Vhile ,the expedients which have already been described above are most efiicient, I prefer to provide them merely as a supplemental feature of leakage-prevention. To this end, I make the radial oil-releasea double release at the end of the' bearing surface toward the end-wall 18. This is not shown ,in F ig. 1, but is shown in Figs. 4, 6` and 8.

This double release uses the radial oil-release directly at the end-face of the sleeve is 13 as merely a second or supplementary oilrelease, and slightly removed from such end face it provides the primary oil-release. This consist-s of an internal groove 45 on thesleeve 13 near such end-face, which cir- 'i cumferential groove communicates with a plurality of radial openings 46 leading to the outside face of suoli sleeve. With this Sil arrangement, the larger part of the oil which travels along thebearing surface collects fil in the ,circumferential groove 45 and is thrown outward through the holes 46 backV into the lubricant chamber. Only a small portion of ithe .oil vpasses axially beyond the groove 45, and this small amount is Vcaught lby the supplemental oil-release device. Such supplemental oil-'release device may take the form shown in Figs. 1, 4, 6, and 8,

by the provision of a ring `around the shaft and close to or against the end-face of they sleeve 13. In fact, I prefer that arrangement. However, when there is this full o'il.-l

the end of the sleeve 13. With this arrangenient, as shown in Fig. 7, it is not necessary that the end-wall 18 of the casing 15 should be beyond the end-face of thesleeve 13, and spaced therefrom; but instead the end-wall 18`niay have a bearing upon the outer face of the sleeve 13 near its end, but beyond the two series of holes 46 and 48. 'Y f Thus in all of Figs. 4, 6, 7, and 8, arrangements are shown which provide the full oil-release, at axially separatedpoints along the sleeve 13. andv along the bearing surface between such sleeve and the shaft.

lVhile the supporting,stud-shaft,1O,may

have screw threads 11 at its support end, for mounting it in some suitable support, I prefer for such shaft a mounting of the nature shown in Fig. 4. There the shaft 10 projects into one end of a supporting 'arm 60 the other end of which is mounted on a stationary stud 61 parallel to the shaft 10 but offset therefrom. Both ends of thesupporting arm 60 are provided with holes for receiving the shaft 10 and the stationaryl stud 61, which are parallel, andwbeyond such holes are split to provide a spring clamp, which may be clamped upon the associated shaft or stud by a clamping cross-bolt 62. The cross-bolt 62 preferably lies .in ar circumferential groove 63 in that end of the shaft 10 or supporting stud 61 which lies within the hole in the arinh60. By tightening'the clamping cross-bolts 62,.the arm 60 is held in fixed position on the supporting stud 61, and the shaft 10 is held fixed in the arm 60. This interlocking of parts delinitely positions the pulley 19in proper relation to the pulley from which it is driven. Further, this axle positioning of the pulley 19 is maintained in case either rof the crossbolts 61 or 62 become loose. y By loosening mangi-2 the cross bolt 62 which co-operates with the supporting study-61, it is possible to turnV the arm 60 .on said supporting stud to tighten or loosen the belt on `the pulley 19; andl to j j do so without danger of infecting the axial adjustment of said pulley.

I claim as my invention 1..In combination, a stationary shaft, a rotary member mounted on said shaft, said rotary member including a sleeve surrounding said shaft and extending along it with the shaft projecting beyond the end of the sleeve and also including a part whichprojects beyond the end of the sleeve and there .has an end-wall extending inward toward the shaft to form a chamber, and a ring closely surrounding said shaft between the end of said sleeve and said inwardly projecting end-wall, said ring being made of compressible material, one of the `abutting faces of said ringrand sleeve-end being provided with one or more outwardly extending grooves communicating through their outer ends with said chamber.

2. In combination, a stationary shaft, a rotary member rotatably mounted on said shaft and having a lubricant-chamber with an end-wall through which said shaft projects, and a member fitting in the hole in the end-wall through which said shaft projects and having on .the inner face of such wall an annular part whichwith the endwall forms around such hole anannular trough which vis substantially oil-tight at such hole, said member being formed of sheet 'metal extending through saidrhole in the endwall and radially outward on both faces thereof. v Y

3. In combination, a stationary shaft, a rotary member rotatably mounted on said shaft, said rotary member having a Ysupporting sleeve surrounding said shaft and also having -a lubricant chamber of which the end-wall lies beyond the end of thek sleeve with a space betweemsaid end-wall having a hole through which said shaft projects, a ring closely surrounding the shaft in said space between the end-wall and the sleevefend and so close tothe sleeve-end that a film ofoil on"v the ring will be engaged by the sleeve-end, said sleeve-end being located inside the inner `face `ofv said end-wall,

whereby any oil en such sleeve-end will bek thrown outward into said lubricant chamber under the action of centrifugalforce as the rotary member rotates. f.

` 4. In. combination, a Vstationary shaft, a`

rotary meniberrotatably mounted on said shaft, said rotary member having a supporting sleeve surrounding said shaft and also having a lubricant chamber of which the end-wall lies beyond the end of the sleeve with a space between, said end-wall having ahole through which said shaft projects, a ring closely surrounding the shaft in said.,-

Y ch amber space between the end-wall and the sleeve-l shaft, said rotary member having a supporting sleeve surrounding said shaft and also having a lubricant j end-wall lies beyond the end of the sleeve with a space between, said end-wall having a hole through which said shaft projects, a ring closely surrounding the shaft in said space between the end-wall and the sleeveend, said end-wall being provided on its inner face with'an annular member which with the end-wall forms a circumferential trough around said shaft at said hole, and said annular member lying so close to said ring that it will engage a film of lubricant thereon. Y

6. In combination, a stationary shaft, a

rotary member rotatably mounted on saidA shaft and having a completely enclosed lubricant-chamber defined wholly by portions of said rotary member, said lubricant chamber having an end-wall through which said of said wall surrounding the hole through which the shaft projects and with the endwall forming an annular trough around such hole, said part extending well away from the end-wall so that it forms the inner wall of an annular cup of considerable depth when the device is positioned with the shaft vertical. c

7. In combination, a stationary shaft, a rotary member rotatably mounted on said shaft, said rotary member having a supporting sleeve surrounding said shaft'and also having a completely enclosed lubricant defined wholly by portions of said rotary member, said lubricant chamber having an end-wall which lies beyond the end of the sleeve with a spacebetween, said endwall having a hole through which said shaft project-s, said end-wall being provided on its inner face with an annular member which with the end-wall forms an annular trough around said shaft and sleeve at said hole.

' 8. In combination, a stationary shaft, a rotary member rotatably mounted on said shaft` said rotary member having a supporting sleeve surrounding said shaft and also having a completely enclosed lubricant chamber defined wholly by portions of said rotary member, said lubricant chamber having an end-wall lies which beyond the end of the sleeve with a space between, said endwall having a hole through which said shaft projects, said end-wall being provided on av stationary shaft, a vertical;

chamber of which the having space between,

lwhich flares from Vboth Augal force tending to withv the end-wall `of such portion a its inner face with an annular member which with'the end-wall forms an annular' the end-wallsothat it forms the inner wall fof an annular cupof considerable depth when the device is positionedwith the shaft 9. In combination, a stationary shaft, a rotary member rotatably mounted on said shaft, said rotary member having a supporting sleeve surrounding said shaft and also a lubricant chamber of which the endwall lies beyond the end of the sleeve with a said end-wall having a hole through which said shaft projects, a ring closely surrounding the shaft in said space between the-end-wall and the sleeve-end and so close to the sleeve-end kthat a film of oil.

. on the ring will be engaged by the sleeveend, said end-wall being provided on its inner face with an annular member which with` the end-wall forms an annular trough around said shaft and sleeve at said hole, said annular member including a portion l the shaft and the end-wall to produce on oil on the inner surface of such portion a component of centrifcarry such oil back into the lubricant chamber. shaft projects, and a partoii the inner face j l0. In combination, a stationary shaft, a

.rotary member rotatably mounted on said shaft, said rotary member having a support- V, ing sleeve surrounding said shaft and also having a lubricant chamber of which the,

.end-wall beyond the end of the sleeve' with a space between, said end-wall having a end and so close tothe sleeve-end that a film i of oil on the ring willbe engaged by the sleeve-end, said end-wall being provided on its inner face with an annular member which forms an annular vtrough aroundl said shaft and sleeve at said hole, said annular Vmember including a portion which flares from both the shaft and the end- Ywall to produce on oil on the inner surface component of centrifugal i force tending to carry such oil back into the lubricant chamber, and said flaring member lying so close to said ring that it will engage aflm of lubricant thereon. l1. In combination, a supporting stud, a A

stud shaftoifset therefrom, a rotatable member mounted on said stud shaft, an arm mounted on said supporting stud and receiving the supporting end of said stud shaft, said arm being adjustable on stud, and being split at its end that receives the stud shaft, and a clamping cross-bolt for clamping together the split parts or armend, said supporting stud shaft being pro-;4

said supporting4V=v -cant chamberany oil Y tween,

vided with a cross-groove which receives said clamping crosssbolt.

12. In combination, a supporting stud, a stud shaft offset therefrom, a rotatable member mounted on said stud shaft, an arm mounted on said supporting stud and receiving the supporting end of said stud shaft, both ends of said arm being split where. they receive the co-operating ends of said stud and said studl shaft respectively, clamping cross-bolts cooperating With said split ends, said supporting stud and said stud-shaft being provided with cross-grooves for receiv-4 ing the respective clamping cross-bolts.

13'. In combination7 a stationary shaft, a rotary member mounted on said shaft, said rotary member including a sleeve surrounding said shaft and extendingQ along it Wiih the shaft projectingbeyond theV end oi the sleeve, an outer casing radially spaced from the sleeve to; form a lubricant chamber' between,v said sleeve being provided near but spaced from one' end with a lateral passage connect-ing the interior ot said sleeve and saidl lubricant chamber, means operated by the rotation of said rotary member for' forcing Yoil under' pressure from said lubricant chamber', between the bearing' surfaces of said shaiit amd sleeve,` and through Saidl passage, and means for returning te.l said lubri- Which flows between the bearing surfaces of said shaft. and sleeve kpast the opening of said passage.,

14a. In combinatiomfa stationary shaft, a rotary member mounted on said shaft, said rotary member including a; sleeve surrounding said? shaft and extending along itk With theI shaft.v projecting' beyond tlief end of the sleeve, an outer casing' radially spaced from theY sleeve to: form a lubricant chamberl besaid sleeve being' provided near: but spaced from one endy with: a lateral passage connecting the interior of said sleeve and said lubricant chamber',l means for `forcing oil under' pressure trom said" lubricant chamber, between the bearing su-races of said shaft and sleeve, and throughl said passage, and means for'returning to said lubricant chamber any oil Which: flows between the bearing surfaces of said' shattand sleeve4 past thek opening of said passage.

IIL Witness whereof, I have hereunto set Vmy hand at Jackson, Michigan, this 23d day of January, A. D. one thousand nine' hundred and twenty-tour. f

TRUMAN B. FUNK..

CERTFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,743,712. vGranted January 14, 1930, to

TRUMAN B. FUNK.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, line 62, claim 8, lor the Words "lies which" read "which lies"; same page, line 101, claim l0, before the word "beyond" insert the word "lies"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform tothe record oi the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of February, A. D. 1930.

) M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

